Family Law

Abbie E. Goldberg, Ph.D., as guest author, provides information on why it is important for you to participate in research if you are LGBT.  Abbie writes:

When I started researching lesbian parenthood, about seven years ago, I quickly learned that I was entering a field in which any research that I produced had the capacity to be used for good or misinterpreted for evil. Studies that demonstrated the positive adjustment of children of lesbian and gay parents are cited repeatedly in courtrooms, as evidence as to why it is not fair to deny a parent custody on the basis of his or her sexual orientation (i.e., in divorce proceedings). At the same time, critics of gay/lesbian parenting have often argued that the flaws in these studies preclude us from drawing these conclusions. In response, we as researchers of LGBT parent-families have often had to carefully (and repeatedly) explain and defend our findings and research methodology. In addition, our critics have pushed us to improve the rigor of our research designs (for example, including larger numbers of participants in our studies, and seeking out more diverse participants for our studies), which is, ultimately a good thing: Better science and fewer flaws means that our findings are less vulnerable to hen-pecking.

Why is it important to participate in research?

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons and parents have so often been excluded in research studies. What we know about mental health, marriage, parenthood, and so many other areas is largely based on research with white, middle-class, heterosexual participants. When participants are sought for research, it is not uncommon to purposefully exclude LGBT persons, because these numbers are presumably ?too small? to draw ?meaningful comparisons.? Or, federal grant money is used to fund this research, and these monies may be specifically designated for research on heterosexual persons.

Increasingly, there are opportunities to participate in research that is inclusive of or specifically aimed at LGBT persons and parents. Participating in this research is important, in that it expands what we know about people, relationships, and well-being. Ideally, this knowledge can be used to better serve the LGBT community, to argue for things like marriage equality and/or adoption rights, and to prompt greater recognition of LGBT people and families. However, not all researchers are ?affirming.? Before participating in research, it is important to gather as much information as possible about the researcher and the aims of the research. For example, I recommend:

Reading over the research materials/calls for participants with a special eye towards anything offensive or suspicious ?Googling? the investigator for signs of right-wing activity and/or affiliations. If the individual is a student, ask to speak with or communicate the student?s advisor. Go onto an academic search engine and look to see if the researcher has published anything. Look at the abstracts of the papers for signs that the individual is non-affirming or has unstated objectives. Ask as many questions as you like!!

Participating in research can be quite rewarding. I don?t like to speak for my participants, but I know from talking with them about their experiences participating in my research on lesbian and gay parenting and the transition to adoptive parenthood that they have enjoyed several aspects of their involvement. Namely, contributing to knowledge, being able to share their story in a supportive and affirming environment, receiving newsletters on topics related to gay parenting, and reading write-ups of the study findings and hearing about how they are being used have all been mentioned as benefits of their research involvement. As one person stated, ?It?s a civic duty?sort of like a way more fun version of jury duty.? Indeed.

Why, specifically, does this research matter?
The research that has been done with LGBT individuals, couples, and parents has had a significant impact. As an example, consider the body of research on lesbian and gay parents and their children. In the 1980?s and 1990?s, there were a number of highly-publicized court cases in which mothers were being denied custody of their children following (heterosexual) divorces, on the basis of their sexual orientation. This prompted a number of researchers to study lesbian divorced mothers and heterosexual divorced mothers and their children in order to establish the irrelevance of a mother?s sexual orientation on her child?s mental health. These early studies (which have been supported by recent work) found no evidence that children with lesbian mothers were psychologically or emotionally ?deficient? compared to children of heterosexual mothers. This research is repeatedly cited in the context of judicial decision-making about child custody, adoption, etc. by LGBT parents. ??The fight isn?t over yet. Right-wing organizations such as The Family Research Institute, headed by Paul Cameron, consistently criticize such research on the basis of methodological limitations and researchers? ?biases.? This is why good-quality research, with as many participants as possible, is so important.

Current Research Opportunities
Here are a few studies that involve that LGBT community that are currently seeking participants:

Abbie Goldberg, Ph.D. ? The Transition to Adoptive Parenthood Project: I am conducting a study of the transition to adoptive parenthood among same-sex couples. Couples who are in the process of adopting (e.g., are actively working with an agency or lawyer in an effort to adopt) are encouraged to participate! Contact me at agoldberg@clarku.edu for more information, or visit my website, www.clarku.edu/faculty/goldberg/index.html

Mark Gianino, Ph.D. ? Experiences of Multicultural, Adopted Youth with LGBT Parents: Mark is seeking to understand the experiences and perspectives of youth (age 14-22) who were adopted by LGBT parents and who are also of a different race than their parents. Contact him at mgianino@bu.edu for more information.