Lesbian mothers' perceptions and experiences of their school involvement

Abstract

Lesbian‐parented families challenge the heteronormative dominant discourse of family in major social institutions such as schools. This study explores Greek lesbian mothers' experiences and perceptions of their interaction with the school personnel and other parents. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data obtained through in‐person interviews with 14 lesbian mothers. The study revealed three overarching themes: (a) anticipating teachers' rejection, (b) non‐traditional family models are not addressed in school curricula, and (c) Managing disclosure. Participants' experiences of anticipated rejection, of hiding and concealing their family structure and sexual identity confirm that LGBTQ+ individuals live in a macro‐ and micro‐environmental context which adds to minority stress and produces essential new challenges. The findings of this study are discussed in the light of the institutional sources of minority stress that affect lesbian mothers.

Same-sex mothers’ experiences of equal treatment, parenting stress and disclosure to offspring: a population-based study of parenthood following identity-release sperm donation

“…This is encouraging and contrasts some earlier reports of mothers hiding their two-mother family structure from the child's school due to experiences of homophobia and discrimination (e.g. Lindsay et al, 2006;Iraklis, 2021). Positive experiences of inclusive school environments have, however, also been previously reported (e.g.…”

Beyond the presumption of monogamy: the role of religiosity, political conservatism and mononormativity in motivating opposition towards poly families / Más allá de la presunción de monogamia: el rol de la religiosidad, el conservadurismo político y la mononormatividad como motivadores de la oposición hacia las polifamilias

“…Importantly, the Greek Orthodox Church is a significant institution profoundly affecting moral issues and family values (Grigoropoulos, 2021a b; Grigoropoulos et al, 2023), including sexual minorities’ right to become adoptive or foster parents (Grigoropoulos, 2023a b, 2022, 2019; Papadaki et al, 2022). Since the nuclear family continues to be considered ‘core’ to Greek society, attitudes towards poly families offer significant insight into social stigmatization.…”

“…Sobre todo, la iglesia ortodoxa de Grecia es una institución importante que influye de forma profunda en los aspectos morales y valores familiares (Grigoropoulos, 2021a b; Grigoropoulos et al, 2023), así como en los derechos de las minorías sexuales a ser progenitores adoptivos o de acogida (Grigoropoulos, 2023a b, 2022, 2019; Papadaki et al, 2022). Puesto que la familia nuclear sigue siendo considerada ‘la base’ de la sociedad griega, las actitudes hacia las polifamilias revelan datos importantes sobre la estigmatización social.…”

Coherent lives: Making sense of adoptees’ experiences in education through narrative identity

“…Parent–teacher relationships not only act as a model for meaningful relationships with teachers, but also provide teachers with a deeper understanding of a child's developmental needs and strengths (Goldberg & Grotevant, 2023; Goldberg & Smith, 2014). Considering the complexities of families formed through adoption, and the inherent specialised knowledge associated with adoption, strong family–school links would appear to be an essential component of adjustment to adoptive family life, yet research in this area is limited (Iraklis, 2021), particularly in regard to teachers’ experiences in supporting adoptive families (Goldberg & Grotevant, 2023). For school staff, adoptive parents act as strong advocates for their children by translating adoption‐specific knowledge, as it pertains to their child, and in doing so facilitate transition through the systems of an adoption ecology (Goldberg & Grotevant, 2023; Palacios, 2009).…”