Families Headed by Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Individuals: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to describe the scientifi c literature on families constituted by lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals, through a systematic review of national and international studies published between 2009 and 2013. The following databases were searched: Scientifi c Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Periódicos Eletrônicos de Psicologia (PePSIC), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Index Psi, PsyINFO and PUBMED. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 145 articles were selected for review. Most studies were international, empirical, cross-sectional and quantitative, with a focus on lesbian parenthood. Content analysis of the articles revealed two major categories with a series of subcategories each: (a) Parenting (expectations, perceptions and transition to parenting; routes to parenthood; family dynamics and functioning; homophobia; and theoretical and methodological issues in the study of parenting in sexual minorities); (b) Marriage (marriage legalization; marital dynamics; support network; and homophobia). This review provides an updated and extensive discussion of the research into families headed by sexual minorities. Major fi ndings are summarized and critically evaluated, and suggestions for future research are described. ResumoBuscou-se caracterizar a produção científi ca acerca das famílias constituídas por lésbicas, gays e bissexuais, a partir de uma revisão sistemática da literatura nacional e internacional, entre o período de 2009 a 2013. A busca foi feita nas bases Scientifi c Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Periódicos Eletrônicos de Psicologia (PePSIC), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Index Psi, PsycINFO e PUBMED, sendo identifi cados e analisados 145 artigos após a consideração dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão. Prevaleceram os estudos internacionais, empíricos, transversais, quantitativos e com ênfase na parentalidade lésbica. A análise de conteúdo dos artigos gerou a elaboração de duas categorias e suas sub-categorias, quais sejam: (a) Parentalidade (expectativas, percepções e transição para a parentalidade; estratégias de acesso à parentalidade; dinâmica e funcionamentos das relações pais/mães e fi lhos; homofobia e; discussões teóricas e metodológicas sobre a parentalidade); e (b) Conjugalidade (legalização do casamento; dinâmica conjugal; rede de 1 Mailing address: Rua Maria Teixeira Joca, 526, Lira, A. N., Morais, N. A. 1070apoio; e homofobia). Esta revisão ofereceu um panorama atual e abrangente dos estudos, sintetizando-o, lançando um olhar crítico a esse cenário multifaceado, além de indicar possibilidades para futuras investigações.Palavras-chave: Família, parentalidade, conjugalidade, homossexualidade, mesmo sexo. Familias Compuestas por Lesbianas, Gays y Bisexuales:Revisión Sistemática de Literatura Resumen Se ha buscado caracterizar la producción científi ca acerca de las familias compuestas por lesbianas, gays y bisexuales a partir de una revisión sistemática de l...

Parenthood experiences of LGBT+ individuals: a systematic review

“…Studies on lesbian mother families found that exhaustion and parental stress were lower for these families since parental responsibilities were equally shared 6,16 . This positive effect was evident in other studies that compared lesbian mother families with gay, bisexual, and heterosexual parent families 18,[22][23][24] . This finding may be explained with reference to the absence of heteronormative codes in lesbian mother families.…”

“…Although participants in some of the studies expressed that the society was more tolerant of LGBT+ parents, the majority of studies reported that social discrimination continued even after parenthood 7,11,[21][22][23][24][25] . Problems of LGBT+ individuals in work life included precariousness, discrimination, and being unable to benefit from the rights of heterosexual employees, such as maternity and paternity leave, breastfeeding leave, unpaid leave, or flexibility in working hours 7,19,21 .…”