Therapeutic Considerations in Same-Sex Divorce and Relationship Dissolution

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0014 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 245-262

Author(s):

Aaron Dickinson Sachs

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Young People ◽

Peer Support ◽

Personal Narrative ◽

Safe Space ◽

Same Sex ◽

Performative Writing ◽

Family Dissolution ◽

Parental Relationship

In this reflexive autoethnography, the author uses performative writing and evocative personal narrative to recount the dissolution of his parents’ relationship and explore the implications of such dissolutions for children of same-sex relationships. The lack of legal and social support structures available to LGBTQ families in the 1980s, and the prevalence of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric focused on the effects of LGBTQ parents on children, both increased the already traumatic impact of family dissolution on the author. As a child, like members of many groups under “political threat,” the author feared that discussing the difficulty of his parents’ separation would validate anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. For the author, labeling the dissolution of his parents’ relationship as “divorce,” and finding friendship with other young people from divorced families, was insufficient; only peer support from other people with LGBTQ parents helped the author to find a safe space to share the trauma of parental relationship dissolution.

Gender in the Context of Same-Sex Divorce and Relationship Dissolution

Family Court Review ◽

10.1111/fcre.12355 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 384-398

Author(s):

Suzanne A. Kim ◽

Edward Stein

Keyword(s):

Same Sex

The Role of Gender and Gender Dynamics in Same-Sex Divorce and Dissolution

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0020 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 353-382

Author(s):

Suzanne A. Kim ◽

Edward Stein

Keyword(s):

Future Research ◽

Legal Institution ◽

Same Sex ◽

Gender Dynamics ◽

Same Sex Couples ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact

This chapter identifies ways researchers, policymakers, therapists, lawyers, and couples should attend to the role of gender and gender dynamics facing same-sex couples upon divorce or relationship dissolution. When same-sex couples marry, gender roles associated with a particular vision of different-sex couples—in reference to which the legal institution of marriage developed historically—may be projected onto same-sex couples both socially and by judges adjudicating their relationship dissolutions, often in a manner conflicting with couples’ intentions and practices. Thus, couples consisting of two men and couples consisting of two women may be differentially affected. Gender and gender dynamics are likely to affect the bases for dissolution (e.g., whether one of the spouses committed adultery or whether there is a basis for annulment); the financial aspects of dissolution; and determination of child custody. The chapter suggests directions for future research regarding the impact of gender on the dissolution of same-sex relationships.

Family, Loss, and Change

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0012 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 221-232

Author(s):

Katherine R. Allen

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Family ◽

Extended Family ◽

Family Members ◽

Same Sex ◽

The Family ◽

Family Loss ◽

Legal Marriage

Same-sex relationship dissolution has reverberations for individuals beyond the nuclear family. This chapter discusses a lesbian-parent family, consisting of two moms and two kids—when it broke up nearly two decades ago, many other family members, including the donor and his husband, were deeply affected. This chapter reflects on this experience from the author’s perspective of a family scholar and an activist for LGBTQ family rights. In the absence of legal marriage and thus legal divorce, family lives turned out in ways that even the most careful, deliberate efforts could not anticipate nor protect. The experiences described highlight many losses and regrets, despite the intentional love and concern for all of the parents, children, and extended family members involved. These reflections on this experience are intended to honor the family as it once was and the families they have become.

Child Custody in the Context of LGBTQ Relationship Dissolution and Divorce

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0011 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 195-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kim H. Pearson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Child Custody ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Equal Treatment ◽

Same Sex ◽

Same Sex Marriage ◽

Sexual Orientation Identity ◽

Custody Disputes

This chapter discusses how families headed by LGBTQ people can engage in transformative advocacy during child custody disputes. It presents cases that demonstrate how parental sexual orientation identity can be used to bolster parental claims of fitness and bids for more custodial time with a child. It discusses how advocacy efforts for same-sex marriage and equal treatment of LGBTQ parents have often used assimilative strategies to gain legal protection. Now that many state jurisdictions expand and align their marriage-related rules to include child custody decisions, it is likely that courts will rely on assimilative narratives when making custody decisions for children of LGBTQ parents. As a result, LGBTQ families that fall outside of the stereotypical monogamous, white, wealthy, family configuration may find themselves precluded from legal protection. Deploying a wider range of LGBTQ-positive arguments in child custody cases could help courts recognize ongoing forms of bias against LGBTQ families.

Stress in the Lives of Same-Sex Couples

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0005 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 70-86

Author(s):

David M. Frost ◽

Allen J. LeBlanc

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Social Stress ◽

Minority Stress ◽

Psychological Interventions ◽

Same Sex ◽

Same Sex Couples ◽

Seeking Help ◽

Relational Contexts

Due to the stigmatization of their relationships, people in same-sex couples are at risk for exposure to forms of social stress that those in different-sex couples are not. This chapter discusses how these “couple-level minority stressors,” which may be individually experienced as well as jointly experienced with a partner, may have deleterious effects and lead to relationship dissolution and divorce among same-sex couples. Moreover, it describes potential stress processes emanating from discrepancies in minority stress experiences and stress contagion between partners in same-sex relationships, which may contribute to relationship dissolution in previously unexamined ways. The chapter discusses the role resilience resources may play in same-sex couples’ experiences of minority stress, potentially mediating or moderating its effects on relationship quality, and concludes by considering how better understandings of minority stress in relational contexts can deepen emerging understandings of relationship dissolution in same-sex couples and inform psychological interventions for those seeking help.

Same-Sex Relationship Dissolution and Divorce

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0009 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 151-172

Author(s):

Rachel H. Farr ◽

Abbie E. Goldberg

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Research ◽

Child Outcomes ◽

The United States ◽

Same Sex ◽

Same Sex Couples ◽

Policy Practice ◽

Conducting Research ◽

Outcomes For Children ◽

Same Sex Parents

As of June 2015, same-sex marriage is a right nationwide in the United States, which means legal same-sex divorce is also a reality across the nation. As many same-sex couples have children, it is likely that at least some children will experience the dissolution of their parents’ relationship. Little research has examined outcomes for children who experience their same-sex parents’ relationship dissolution. In considering these children’s outcomes, this chapter draws parallels to the literature on heterosexual parent divorce and child outcomes. It reviews data on same-sex relationship dissolution and divorce, particularly among same-sex couples who are parents. It also highlights issues unique to same-sex parents and their children who experience divorce. It discusses qualitative and quantitative research, including reflections on relevant longitudinal studies conducted by each author. It acknowledges challenges of conducting research on same-sex relationship dissolution and divorce. Finally, it discusses implications for policy, practice, and research.

Demographic Approaches to Same-Sex Relationship Dissolution and Divorce

10.1093/med-psych/9780190635176.003.0003 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 35-48

Author(s):

Wendy D. Manning ◽

Kara Joyner

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Legal Status ◽

Supreme Court Decision ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Same Sex ◽

Same Sex Couples ◽

Us Supreme Court ◽

The Relationship

The recent US Supreme Court decision to legalize marriages of same-sex couples has resulted in a surge of new marriages, and some end in divorce. There is a limited research base to draw on to understand the potential patterns and correlates of divorce among same-sex couples. There are only a few recent studies on the instability or dissolution of same-sex relationships in the United States in part because there are only a handful of data sources with large enough samples of same-sex couples that can be used to analyze the instability of same-sex relationships and compare their stability to different-sex relationships. The chapter reviews recent findings on the dissolution of same-sex relationships in Europe and the United States with a focus on the legal status of the relationship, noting areas for future research. It discusses potential opportunities and challenges in new studies of divorce and dissolution among same-sex couples.