Two professors at the University of Oregon are conducting a new study about LGBT parents and how we “navigate legal and social hurdles” on behalf of our kids. They’re looking for LGBT parents to interview (anonymously) — I hope you’ll consider helping them out.
One of the researchers, Alison Gash, wrote a great piece recently for Washington Monthly titled “Under the Gaydar: How gays won the right to raise children without conservatives even noticing.” It’s a fascinating read, in which she explains, “The fight for same-sex parental rights has mostly played out in obscure family courts. . . . This below-the-radar strategy created . . . tens of thousands of intact gay and lesbian-headed families with children — well before most conservative activists were even aware the phenomenon existed, making their subsequent efforts to block same-sex parenting an uphill fight.”
Below is the message she and her research partner are sending out about their new study. Please contact her as below if you are interested in taking part!
We are Alison Gash and Judith Raiskin, professors at University of Oregon. We are working on a project about LGBT headed families. Specifically, we are interested in how marriage equality (or the lack thereof) influences how LGBT parents secure legal and social ties to their children and how they navigate legal and social hurdles on behalf of their kids. To identify how inconsistent or evolving understandings of LGBT headed families have far-reaching implications for LGBT parents in their efforts to raise their children we are collecting stories from a variety of families through in-person and telephone interviews. We are hoping that you will be willing to participate. No identifying information will be included in the final product and, of course, you are under no obligation to participate. If you are interested or have questions please contact me at gash@uoregon.edu. Here is a brief overview of the project.
The topic of same sex marriage (and consequently LGBT headed families) has come to dominate the gay rights movement — and our understanding of gay identity — in recent times. The net result of this public debate has been both an increased acceptance of LGBT parents and their families as well as a more vehement and public opposition towards these families. Often this opposition has left gay, lesbian, or transgender-headed households without critical legal protections or social acceptance. Consequently, gay, lesbian, and transgendered parents have had to lean on contracts or other safeguards in anticipation of a range of destabilizing events. This project seeks to identify how parents make use of legal and extra-legal resources to secure their family relationships and how reliance on these tools has shaped their roles as parents. Relying on interviews with gay, lesbian, and transgendered parents as well as gay rights advocates this project will supplement current literature by exploring how legal structures — or a lack thereof — influence, constrain, and promote certain perspectives and behaviors among gay, lesbian and transgender parents and couples.