The description of gay and lesbian families in second-parent adoption cases

Connolly, Jacqueline

doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-0798(199821)16:2<225::aid-bsl301>3.0.co;2-z

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Early studies on lesbian parents were often initiated as a direct response to court custody cases (as described by Clarke, 2008;Connolly, 1998;Falk, 1989). In the 1970s, 80s and 90s in the United States, lesbian women lost custody of their children to their former husbands, when judges claimed that lesbians were unfit for child custody.…”

Section: International Research On Lesbian Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Malmquist

2015

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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To my children, Emil, Nils, Myran and Tove Färgen på barns ögon kommer från arvet, glittret i barns ögon kommer från miljön.The colour of children's eyes comes from nature, the sparkle in children's eyes comes from nurture. AbstractOptions and possibilities for lesbian parents have changed fundamentally since the turn of the millennium. A legal change in 2003 enabled a same-sex couple to share legal parenthood of the same child. An additional legal change, in 2005, gave lesbian couples access to fertility treatment within public healthcare in Sweden. The present thesis focuses on families where two women share legal parenthood of their children. It aims to provide knowledge about lesbian parenting couples and their children, and to focus on the interplay between family members within lesbian families, and between family members and their surroundings. Furthermore, the thesis aims to visualize and analyse notions of heteronormativity and homonormativity in contemporary Sweden. The thesis draws on interviews with 118 parents in 61 families, and 12 children in 11 families. The participants' stories, descriptions, reflections and discourses have been analysed using discursive psychology and thematic analysis.The thesis includes five empirical papers. Paper I focuses on encounters with healthcare professionals prior to and during pregnancy, at childbirth and during the early stages of parenthood. Paper II deals with the participants' experiences of second-parent adoption processes. Paper III focuses on equality in parenting relations. Paper IV focuses on encounters with fertility clinics within public healthcare. Paper V highlights the children's reflections and shows how the children talk about fathers and donors.

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Section: International Research On Lesbian Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Malmquist

2015

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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“…None of the attorneys in these successful second-parent adoption cases raised federal or state grounds or tried in other ways to argue "gay rights." Experience from lesbian and gay parental visitation cases indicated that these arguments would most likely fail (Connolly 1996). Instead, the petitions were typically very simple and were framed as actions involving children's rights.…”

Section: Going To Court: Process and Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Voice of the Petitioner: The Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Parents in Successful Second-Parent Adoption Proceedings

Connolly

2002

Law Soc Rev

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. .Wiley and Law and Society Association are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Law &Society Review.Gays and lesbians have recently turned to the courts and the law for recognition of their families. Some of the most successful cases are those won by a gay or lesbian "second-parent" of a child whose biological or legally adoptive parent is his or her partner. The court opinions granting these second-parent adoptions have often portrayed these petitioners as similar to an idealized heterosexual family unit, albeit with two same-sex parents. In this study, 20 parents who successfully pursued a second-parent adoption were interviewed to examine their experiences with the legal system. Results indicate that these petitioners did not envision themselves as similar to heterosexual families and resisted attempts by state actors who tried to formulate them as such. The literature on legal consciousness and pragmatism is used to analyze the respondents' experiences.

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“…This is in part because of the enormous changes in the law that families are living through, in this case with regard to marriage equality. As court rulings happen, everyone (LGB parents, legal professionals) is involved in a process of translating the Blaw on the book^into practice, into Blaw in everyday life.^Much work has focused on the interpretations made by judges in their decisions (e.g., Connolly 1998). Yet, this article illuminates how Bordinary citizens^then interpret those decisions by gathering information from the Internet, their friends, and their lawyers and that these interpretations have consequences for their families.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“The Law’s the Law, Right?” Sexual Minority Mothers Navigating Legal Inequities and Inconsistencies

Kazyak

2015

Sex Res Soc Policy

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LGB parents face a number of legal inequities and confront a legal landscape that not only varies drastically by state but also quickly changes. Research has shown that some LGB parents and prospective parents have inaccurate knowledge about the laws relating to parenting. Drawing on data from 21 interviews, I ask how sexual minority mothers gain knowledge about the law. I found that people were very aware of the legal inequities they face and sought to become knowledgeable about the law before they had children. Sexual minority mothers reported using four primary methods to learn about the law: doing independent research, relying on friends, relying on LGBT organizations, and hiring an attorney. The method upon which they relied was shaped by class. Notably, people received conflicting and at times inaccurate legal information depending on the method upon which they relied. Throughout the process of learning about the law, parents experienced anger, stress, and fear. These findings shed light on some of the inequities that sexual minority parents face insofar as they must expend added effort to gain knowledge about the law. The findings can also help efforts to ensure that legal knowledge is disseminated effectively, which is especially important given how quickly the legal landscape for LGB parents is changing.

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The description of gay and lesbian families in second-parent adoption cases

Cited by 15 publications

References 5 publications

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

The Voice of the Petitioner: The Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Parents in Successful Second-Parent Adoption Proceedings

“The Law’s the Law, Right?” Sexual Minority Mothers Navigating Legal Inequities and Inconsistencies

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