Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Military Families: Visible But Legally Marginalized

Oswald, Ramona Faith; Sternberg, Martina

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-8712-8_8

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The working group concluded that only the United States had an official definition of military families; however, depending on the service of the soldier, even this definition was sometimes broadened to include other family members (Gribble et al, 2018). Official definitions influence, among other things, who is entitled to services provided by the military as well as who is considered part of the military community, if one such community exists (Oswald & Sternberg, 2014). If researchers provide a definition of military families in their studies, these tend not to correspond with current family forms ( 2013, p. 4).…”

Section: What Is a Military Family?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“Military Families” – Critical Perspectives on a Research Field

Heiselberg

2023

Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies

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Based on ethnographic fieldwork among Danish soldiers and their families going through military deployment between 2015 and 2016, this article investigates the term "military families" from a critical anthropological perspective. It starts by outlining how the military family, as a discrete category, emerged as a research field in the United States between the 1960s and 1980s. The article argues that the specific geographical context in which the study of military families developed has had significant impact both on the academic knowledge produced about these families and what has come to be understood as a "military family." The article proceeds to identify dominant research themes within three academic disciplines which, it is argued, have each shaped the study of military families: psychology, sociology and feminist studies. In the second part of the article, anthropological perspectives on military family life are introduced as examples illustrating the ways in which the cultural and social context become relevant when investigating how military deployment and the military institution affect both service members and their families. The paper argues that an exploration of "things military" (Lutz, 2002) must relate to and take into consideration the societal and cultural norms shaping the experience of any military.

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Section: What Is a Military Family?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“Military Families” – Critical Perspectives on a Research Field

Heiselberg

2023

Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies

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“…In addition to minority stressors, these families are more likely to be female headed, of minority race-ethnicity, and in interracial partnerships than non-LGBT military families. 13 Although married spouses of LGBT SMs and their children are now eligible for military benefits, including health care coverage, life insurance, housing allowances, and survivor benefits, some may still face perceived or experienced barriers to accessing services, including the families of transgender SMs who were, until recently, barred from serving openly. 35,36 Normative stressors that all military families face may be exacerbated in LGBT families.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Frequent relocation may be more stressful for an LGBT family if they receive orders to leave a supportive community for one in which they may be less accepted. 13 LGBT military families may also have less access to social support within the military community. It has been noted that racial-ethnic minority families and families with less common configurations, such as single-parent households, can experience difficulty with integration and access to support from military communities.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[10][11][12] There may be as many as 16,000 LGBT families in the U.S. military. 13 Despite calls to increase representation of diverse families in research, 14 little is known about their experiences within the military community. Using a minority stress theory framework and a mixed-methods design, 15 this study considers LGBT SMs' perceptions of the acceptance of their families into the military community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions of family acceptance into the military community among U.S. LGBT service members: A mixed-methods study

Sullivan

Dodge

McNamara

et al. 2021

Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health

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Lay Summary There are approximately 16,000 families of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) service members in the U.S. military, but very little is known about how accepted they feel in the communities in which they live. This study begins to address this question by considering the perspectives of LGBT service members, which they shared both in response to an online survey and in interviews. Findings suggest that many service members believe their spouses and families are accepted by their chain of command. However, a smaller but important group continued to express concerns about their family being accepted in their military community. Many service members appear concerned that family services available to them through the military are not appropriate for LGBT families. Altogether, this article highlights the need for more research to understand the well-being and needs of this group.

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“…Sexual minorities. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) service members may also face distinct stressors upon return from deployment (Oswald & Sternberg, 2014). Although minimal research exists on their unique postdeployment experiences, LGB individuals may struggle to reconnect with intimate partners, particularly in those relationships they keep hidden from others.…”

Section: Implications For Clinical Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Broadening the focus in supporting reintegrating Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Six key domains of functioning.

Sherman¹,

Larsen²,

Borden³

2015

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice

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As the major ground troop presence in the Middle East is reduced, it is time to reflect, maximize lessons learned, and look forward to what lies ahead for the nearly 2.6 million service members of the United States military who have deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. A systematic review of the literature on postdeployment functioning of Iraq and Afghanistan troops was conducted. Findings are described and contextualized in terms of service members' ongoing strengths, needs, and challenges. The corpus of research on deployed personnel indicates that service members demonstrate resilience in the face of war-related stressors. However, postdeployment impairment in 6 functional domains emerged in the literature review, including mental health, social and role functioning, relationship functioning and family life, spirituality, physical health, and financial well-being. Although risk factors and future trajectories vary across these domains, psychiatric difficulties are a consistent predictor of a worsened course. Implications for clinical practice are described based on the review findings. To promote wellbeing in the years ahead, it is important that service members are supported in their various roles (such as in the classroom, the workforce, and the family). In addition, routine assessment of functioning across domains is highly recommended for postdeployment service members.

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Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Military Families: Visible But Legally Marginalized

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

“Military Families” – Critical Perspectives on a Research Field

“Military Families” – Critical Perspectives on a Research Field

Perceptions of family acceptance into the military community among U.S. LGBT service members: A mixed-methods study

Broadening the focus in supporting reintegrating Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Six key domains of functioning.

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