ABSTRACT
Contemporary discussions of family—couched in terms such as “family values” and “disintegration of the family”—refer explicitly and nearly exclusively to the heterosexual family; “family” is defined by heterosexual marriage, reproduction, and parenting. If we rely on the image of family portrayed in everyday discourse, we might assume that LGB individuals do not have families. Of course, this is not the case. LGB individuals come from families, almost always from heterosexual families. LGB people form their own families, which may include partners and/or children. They often reproduce and parent, having natural, adoptive, and foster children, as well as children conceived through alternative insemination or surrogacy. And they create friendship networks that serve as extended families. These networks are often referred to as “families of choice,” to distinguish them from biological families, which are often not available to and supportive of LGBs. In this chapter we will explore the first level of LGB families, the intimate relationships among partners and children.
