ABSTRACT
Little research has examined reasons for marrying (or not) among lesbian and gay (LG) parents. This chapter explores this topic among 68 LG parents (17 female couples, 17 male couples) with children. All 17 female couples in the study were married; 14 male couples were married and three were not. Participants described a range of reasons for marrying, including legal, symbolic, partner-oriented, and child-oriented reasons. Most participants identified multiple reasons. Couples who did not marry explained this in terms of their resistance to marriage as an institution and their feeling that marriage was simply not a “priority” in their lives. Participants in this study also commented on what shifts or changes they had observed since getting married. In most cases these were positive changes (legitimacy, relief for parents and children, enhanced commitment), but a minority of participants described negative changes or no impact at all.
