Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families and health

Abstract

Research consistently demonstrates that family relationships are key determinants of health, but most research on health and families focuses on a heterosexual and cisgender context. Sexual and gender identities often are overlooked or erased in family and health research. We present an overview of the current state of research on LGBT families and health, using a life course approach and pointing to the ways that LGBT people's experiences of families occur within a broader social structural context, with implications for their health and the health of their family members. We focus on parenthood, parent-child ties, intimate relationships, and caregiving. We also identify two theoretical obstacles for studies ofLGBT families and health as well as important research areas for moving forward, such as the inclusion of non-binary and queer identities in our studies of family and health. Incorporation of LGBT and other queer families and family forms into our health research interrogates assumptions within family and health research and offers insight into how to move the field forward.

Anticipatory Minority Stressors among Same-sex Couples: A Relationship Timeline Approach

“…We argue that these similarities in stressors should provide further evidence for the importance of moving away from models of same-sex couples that pathologize those relationships, meaning they define them as abnormal, deficient, and only in comparison to different-sex couples (Umberson, Thomeer, and Lodge 2015). Yet we caution against interpreting these results to conclude that same-sex couples and different-sex couples are indistinguishable and reinforce previous calls to move away from models that treat different-sex couples as the default or norm (Fish and Russell 2018; Oswald, Blume, and Marks 2005; Thomeer et al 2018).…”

“…We theorize that anticipatory stressors occur as both general stressors and minority stressors and that anticipatory stress burdens are greater for those with stigmatized identities and those in marginalized relationship forms, including individuals within same-sex couples. Recent expansions of the minority stress framework emphasize that minority stressors occur not just at the individual level but also at the couple level, as well as even broader levels such as the family level (LeBlanc et al 2015; Thomeer, Paine, and Bryant 2018). Thus, studies of sexual minority subjects who are in relationships need to consider couple-level minority stressors in addition to individual-level minority stressors in order to assess the full minority stress burden.…”

LGBTQ+ Latino/a Young People’s Interpretations of Stigma and Mental Health: An Intersectional Minority Stress Perspective

“…The cross-sectional nature of the data collected in a single interview is limiting as we cannot capture the breadth of how young people’s health statuses change over time. Young people’s health dynamics may shift across their life course and relationships as Latino/a LGBTQ+ youth often feel pressured to adhere to traditional family norms when coming out (Yon-Leau and Muñoz-Laboy 2010), so future research should also examine how LGBTQ+ identities within diverse family networks shape individual health outcomes (Thomeer, Paine, and Bryant 2018). Finally, the qualitative nature of the data allows for interpretivist constructions of how young people view their identity-related health processes, but scholars should complement subjective perspectives with measures of young people’s global health indicators in working to holistically improve LGBTQ+ youth health outcomes.…”

Policy Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Life for LGBT Older Adults

“…LGBT older adults are often dismissed and overlooked, despite being disproportionately affected by the same challenges the general older adult population encounters (Thomeer et al 2018). Furthermore, the LGBT older adult population faces additional barriers because of their sexual orientation and identity (Erdley et al 2014;Thomeer et al 2018).…”

“…Relatedly, LGBT older adults have not formalized end-oflife documents (Thomeer et al 2018;Witten 2016). This should mobilize community organizations serving the LGBT population to offer low-or no-cost legal assistance to LGBT older adults, supporting their necessary later-life legal decisions, and bolstering legal protections against potential discrimination or post-death backlash (Witten 2016).…”